Marry: Meaning, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：get married (marry)

marry 🔊

/ˈmæri/

To officially become someone's husband or wife, usually through a wedding ceremony.

Marry wedding scene with couple exchanging rings

get married 🔊

➕

/ɡɛt ˈmær.ɪd/

To become legally united as husband and wife, usually through a wedding ceremony.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'maritare' (to wed) via Old French 'marier'.

💡 Mnemonic

A merry couple marrying under a marquee.

📖 Example

After saving money for years, they finally marry in a beautiful garden ceremony surrounded by family. 🔊 After years of saving, they finally got married in a garden wedding with their family present.

🔗 Collocations

marry someone – to wed a particular person

marry into – to become part of a family by marriage

marry off – to find a spouse for someone, often by arrangement

🔄 Synonyms

wed (v.) – to marry in a formal ceremony

tie the knot (phrase) – to get married, used informally

get hitched (phrase) – to marry, very informal

🚫 Antonyms

divorce (v.) – to legally end a marriage

separate (v.) – to stop living together as a couple

annul (v.) – to declare a marriage invalid

🌱 Derivatives

marriage (n.) – the state of being married

married (adj.) – having a spouse

remarry (v.) – to marry again after divorce or death

📖 Cultural Story

From Latin 'maritare' (to wed), derived from 'maritus' (husband). Entered English through Old French 'marier'.